The Power Transformation Lab is hiring several undergraduate Research Assistants (RAs) to contribute across various projects. RAs will support tasks such as data collection, cleaning, analysis, visualization, and code development. Positions will be matched to student interests and skills. Please provide a cover letter and indicate your preferred project or projects and relevant experience.
RA duties include:
- Implement data analysis techniques in Python/Julia for data collection and cleaning
- Perform basic quantitative analysis and assist with data visualization
- Develop project documentation and organize data sources
- Assist senior researchers with larger projects
- Collaborate with other RAs for lab development activities
Projects/topics available:
- AI/LLM tools for energy systems modeling (AI for ESM) - This project develops AI-assisted workflows to support the lab’s energy system modeling pipeline, from data preparation through results interpretation. Tasks include building and testing LLM-based tools to help debug and document optimization code (Julia/JuMP and Python), automate data cleaning and reproduction for model inputs, and generate visualizations and summaries of model outputs. The RA selected for this project will work closely with senior researchers to identify repetitive or time-consuming steps in the modeling workflow, prototype small AI-powered tools or scripts to address them, and document these workflows so they can be reused across other projects in the lab.
- China’s electricity market and open power data - This project builds open analytical tools to investigate market reforms and varied market designs and policy research questions in China’s power sector, supporting existing efforts such as the Electricity Market Tracker (https://emtracker.org/). The RA selected for this project will collect and process power system and electricity market data from open sources (websites, Chinese technical documents, reports, and GIS imagery), cross-check and verify the data, and conduct analysis on electricity market reform and pathways toward the country’s dual carbon goals. Responsibilities also include maintaining and updating project website content. This project requires Python and QGIS and may involve AI tools for data collection and processing.
- US clean energy manufacturing policy - This project studies how industrial and trade policies adopted by the US federal and state governments affected domestic clean energy manufacturing. The RA selected for this project will assist senior researchers in building and consolidating a policy database and help evaluate the impact of those policies. Tasks include collecting and summarizing industrial policy data, collecting trade and tariff data, identifying preexisting policy databases, collecting relevant economic outcomes of clean energy manufacturing, consolidating databases for econometric analysis, conducting descriptive analysis, and generating visualizations.
Qualifications:
- Proficient in Python or Julia, especially in:
- Extracting/scraping data from documents and websites
- Data visualization
- Basic statistical analysis
- Interest in conducting independent research
- Knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software is helpful but not required
- Knowledge of macro energy systems is a plus
- Knowledge of databases is a plus
- Experience with AI tools is a plus
Date Range: October 2026 - June 2027
To Apply
All applications must be made following the instructions on Handshake. Applicants should use the cover letter to indicate interest in one or more of the above projects, and to describe their interests and relevant experience.
Handshake job posting: 11459763 Handshake Application Link
Application Deadline: Oct 3, 2026